Coal cleaning apparatus



COAL CLEANING APPARATUS Filed April 17, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1144 s p/e/ws.

June 24, 1941.

K. PRINS COAL CLEANING APPARATUS Filed April 17, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 24, 1941.

K. PRINS 2,246,532

COAL CLEANING APPARATUS Filed April 17, 1.940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 ZVEZ ZZQZ Patented June 24, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,246,532 COAL CLEANING APPARATUS Klaas Prins, Chicago, Ill.

Application April 17, 1940, Serial No. 330,081

Claims.

My invention relates to cleaning apparatus adapted particularly for washing and cleaning coal of its refuse matter and other impurities, but which apparatus may be used with equal efficiency for the separation and cleaning of other materials such as metals from ores.

My invention may be considered to embody improvements over the structure, arrangement, and operation of the coal cleaning apparatus disclosed in my Patent No. 2,082,467 granted July 1, 1937. v

In apparatus of the type referred to, a mass of coal is washed and separated from refuse matter by the cooperation of the force of gravity, the buoyant and flow effect of water properly applied to the mass, and agitation of the mass produced by oscillation or jigger movement of a trough or jigger frame through which the water and the mass to be cleaned travel.

An important object of the invention is to provide a number of water streams for application to the traveling mass of material to be cleaned, with the streams individually controllable and applied to the mass at the most effective points and direction for accomplishing the most efficient separation and cleaning.

A further important object is to provide improved means and arrangement for supporting in a water tank a jigger structure through which the water and the mass to be cleaned travels, and with the operating means for the jigger structure readily adjustable for the desired oscillation or vibration of the jigger structure or the bodily movement thereof through predetermined orbits, depending upon the. agitation desired for the most efficient separation and washing operations.

Another important object is to provide improved means and arrangement for adjusting for the proper relative flow and travel of the water and the material to be cleaned thereby.

Another important object, particularly inthe washing of coal, is to provide means for efficiently separating both heavy gravity. material and near gravity material from the coal and directing the heavy material and the near material to separate outlets from the washing apparatus for reception by separate conveyors.

Still a further important object is to provide a comparatively long chute structure for feeding coal to the washer and utilization of one of the water streams for effecting a preliminary separation of the mass while traveling down the chute to the washer. a

The above specifically referred'to and other features of the invention are incorporated in the structure disclosed on the drawings, in which drawings Figure 1 is a plan view;

Figure 2 is a section on plane II-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on plane III-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged diagram showing an orbit of jigger movement;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing a multi-path jigger structure;

Figure 6 is a. section on plane VI-Vl of Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the multi-path jigger tructure.

The cleaning apparatus shown comprises a rectangular tank In having the inlet and outlet end walls H and I2, the front and rear side walls l3 and I l, and the bottom wall l5 extending from a refuse discharge outlet i6 adjacent to the inlet end wall I! to slope gradually upwardly to the outlet end wall If to terminate at the inner end of the bottom wall I! of the discharge chute structure l8 extending from the wall l2 and communicating with the tank.

Mounted within the tank It is the generally rectangular jigger structure 13 whose front and rear side walls 28 and 2! respectively parallel and l are spaced inwardly from the front and rear walls I3 and M of the tank ill, the open upper end of the jigger structure being a distance below the upper edge of the. tank and the open inlet end 22 of the jigge-r structure being spaced a distance from the end wall II of the tank.

The jigger structure has the sloping bottom 23 substantially paralleling but being spaced upwardly from the sloping tank bottom I 5.

- Secured to the tank bottom under the refuse outlet i6 therethrough is the outlet frame 25 having the partition wall 25 therein dividing the frame 24 into discharge outlet passageways 2t and 21. The jigger structure is shaped to provide two hopper-shaped outlets 28 and 29 above the passageways 26 and 27 respectively through the frame 24 for discharge into the passageways 26 and 21 respectively of near gravity and heavy gravity refuse material from the jigger structure i9, as willvbe described more in detail later. At its high end the sloping bottom 23 is shaped to form an upwardly convex sill 30 between the ends of the front and rear walls 2B and 2| of the jigger structure and this end of the jigger structure extends a distance into the discharge chute structure l8.

Describing now the suspension and operating mechanism for the jigger structure, extending across the inlet end of the jigger structure and secured thereto is a bar 3| whose cylindrical ends receive the lower ends of front and rear connecting links 32 and 33 respectively. Above the bar 3| extends a shaft 34 journaled at its ends in bearings 35 and 35' mounted on inclined supports 36 secured to supporting flanges 31 at the upper end of the tank. The shaft 34 has eccentric portions 38 receiving the upper ends of the links 32 and 33. On the rear end of the shaft 34 is a sprocket wheel 39.

At the discharge end of the jigger structure a bar 40 extends across the top of and is secured to the jigger structure, the cylindrical ends of the bar receiving the lower ends of links 4| and 42 whose upper ends have eccentric connections 43 with the shaft 44 journaled in bearings 45 mounted on inclined supports 46 on the supporting flanges 31 of the tank Hi. The shaft 44 at its rear end has the sprocket wheel 41.

Extending across the top of the tank between the shafts 34 and 49 is a drive shaft 48 journaled in front and rear bearings 49 on the supporting flanges 37 of the tank. This drive shaft may be driven directly by a suitable motor or by means of a belt engaging the flywheel pulley 50 at the front end of the shaft. A distance inwardly of the link engaged bar 4|! on the jigger structure is another bar 5| extending across and secured to the top of the jigger structure, the cylindrical outer ends of the bar receiving the outer ends of a pair of rods 52 and 53 whose inner ends engage eccentric portions 54 on the shaft 48. At its rear end the shaft 48 carries a sprocket wheel 55.

On the outside of the rear wall of the tank I0 is a supporting bracket 56 for the bearing 51 which journals a shaft 58 having at its rear end a sprocket wheel 59. The sprocket wheels 39, 41, and 59 are in a common plane and are engaged by a chain belt 63. When the shaft 48 is rotated, the eccentric connection thereof through the rods 52 and 53 with the jigger structure will result in longitudinal oscillation or vibration of the jigger structure which is suspended by the four links 32, 33, 4| and 42, and the belt driven by the sprocket 55 will effect simultaneous rotation of the shafts 34 and 44 which have eccentric drive connection with the links so that the links will effect a vertical reciprocation or vibration of the jigger structure. The bearings for the shafts 34 and 44 are adjustable on their inclined supports 36 and 46 respectively and by such adjustment of the bearings the eccentric links can be given any operating pitch. In the adjustment shown on Figure 2, the links incline toward the right from the vertical. By adjustment of the shaft bearings the links can be brought to operate closer to the vertical line or closer to lines at the left of the vertical for the desired oscillation movement of the jigger structure. The adjustment could be such that the jigger structure would bodily travel through an elliptical orbit such as shown on Figure 4, and by proper adjustment other movements of the jigger structure could be determined. The sprocket wheel 59 engaged by the chain belt serves as an idler sprocket and its bearing 5'! is adjustable on a support 56 so that adjustment of the bearing may be made in accordance with adjustment of the bearings for the eccentric shafts 34 and 44 and the chain belt held properly taut.

The material, such as coal, to be Washed is fed from a charging chute 6| to the outer end of an inclined trough 62 whose inner end 63 projects a distance into the jigger structure If! between the front and rear walls thereof. An auxiliary trough 54 within the stationary trough 62 is adjustable for obtaining suitable velocity of the coal stream through the trough. As shown the auxiliary trough is pivoted at its inner end as indicated at 65 and its side wall has slots 66 receiving clamping means such as bolts 61 for securing the auxiliary trough to the trough 62 at any desired inclination.

At the inlet end 22 of the jigger structure a cross frame 68, which may be formed of sheet metal, extends between and is secured to the front and rear side walls 23 and 2| of the jigger structure and presents the downwardly inclined inner end 69 for supporting a discharge and guide plate H1 below the outlet of the feed trough inner end 53. This plate 10 extends between the front and rear walls of the jigger structure and its side flanges have slots H for receiving securing means such as bolts 12 whereby the plate may be secured in desired positions of adjustment.

Extending between the front and rear walls of the jigger structure between the outlet end of the trough end 63 and the outlet of the jigger structure is a guide plate structure formed of plates 13 and 14 which are adjustable longitudinally by slot and bolt connections of their sides with the front and rear walls of the jigger structure so that the location of the guide structure relative to the feed trough and the jigger structure outlet, and the longitudinal extent of the guide plate structure, may be adjusted.

Describing now the water supply and flow, a water distributing box 15 in front of the tank and jigger structures and below the feed trough 62 is connected by a main (6 with a water supply source (not shown) which is usually a tank to which the water discharged from the washing apparatus is returned for recirculation through the apparatus. From the distributing box a supply branch 1! extends upwardly to the outer end of the feed trough 62 and the flow through this branch is controllabl by a suitable valve [8.

Extending longitudinally from the distributor box 15 are upper and lower supply branches 19 and 89 through which the flow is controllable by suitable valves 8| and 82 respectively. The outer end 83 of the branch 19 extends through the end wall ll of the tank It and projects a distance into the inlet end of the jigger structure below the outer end of the cross frame 68. The outer end 84 of the branch extends through the tank wall and projects a distance into the inlet end of the jigger structure as shown on Figure 2. The ends 83 and 84 constitute nozzles and are of rectangular cross section so that their ends within the jigger structure will extend substantially between the side walls of the jigger structure with enough clearance so as not to interfere with the jigging operation of the jigger structure. The nozzle structures 83 and 84 are also of increasing cross section as shown on Figure 3 for the desired stream flow, and perforated cross walls 85 and 86 are provided near their outlet ends for producing uniform velocity flow.

Between the discharge ends of the nozzle structures 83 and 84 a guide plate 81 is hinged at its outer end between the front and rear walls of the jigger structure and by means of slot and bolt adjusting means 88 the plate may be kept at any desired angle, the inner end of the plate terminating above and between the hopper outlets 28 and 29 on the jigger structure as clearly shown on Figure 2.

Inwardly of the discharge end of the upper nozzle structure 83 and below the guide plate is a guide and directioning frame 89 which extends between the front andrear walls of the jigger structure and may be formed of sheet metal. The top wall 90 of this frame is substantially in alignment with the bottom wall of the nozzle structure 83 and is inclined slightly upwardly toward the discharge end of the jigger structure, and at its discharge end the wall 90 has preferably an extensible apron 9| mounted thereon. The bottom wall 92 of the frame is convexed downwardly as clearly shown on Figure 2.

On the inner side of the hopper outlet 29 a guide plate 93 extends between the front and rear walls of the jigger structure, this plate partially overhanging the hopper outlet 28 and being slightly inclined upwardly towardthe outlet end of the jigger structure and being located below the inner end of the guide plate 81 and the inlet end of the guide frame 89 as clearly shown on Figure 2.

The refuse discharge outlet frame 24 communicates with a conveyor frame 94 through which travel the conveyors 95 and 96 for receiving respectively the refuse products discharged from the jigger structure through the hopper outlets 28 and 29. In order that the water may not escape from the tank and jigger structure through this conveyor structure, the conveyor frame is carried upwardly to a height above the level of the water inthe washer structure before the refuse material is discharged from the conveyor.

Across the outlet end of the stationary feed trough 62 an adjustable baffle or sill plate 91 is provided. On the front end of the guide plate 73 a directioning and baffle plate 98 is provided and at the rear end of the plate 14 a directioning and baffle plate 99 is provided extending diagonally upwardly.

Describing now the operation, raw coal to be washed flows down the chute 6i and through the auxiliary trough (it to the outlet end 63 of the stationary trough 92. The water flow from the supply branch TI is deflected by the inclined end 6! of the chute 61 for flow against and along the bottom of the auxiliary chute, and the stream and buoyancy effect of this water flow will effect a preliminary stratification of the coal mass, the heavier refuse material traveling closer to and along the bottom of the trough while the lighter coal is carried by the stream at a higher level, the coal particles being indicated on the drawings by the heavier shading and the refuse particles by the lighter shading.

As the heavier refuse pieces reach the baflle sill 91 they will be retarded and more or less accumulated and the lighter coal will be floated.

pieces may be projected across the sill 91 but will be, drawn down by gravity through the gap I 99 or will strike the baffle plate 98 "to be deflected downwardly. Refuse pieces which jump the gap I09 will land on the guide plates 13--'|4 and travel along these plates while the lighter coal tends to float with the stream at a higher level and the coalwill further be directed upwardly by accumulation of refuse at the baflie wall 99.

'Some of the water flowing down the feed trough 62 will escape through the gap I89 but this water and coal and refuse flowing down from the plate 10 will be met by the stream of water from the upper nozzle structure 83, this stream being guided by the inclined bottom wall of the frame 68 and the top wall of the guide frame 89 and also the inclined plate 19 so that the stream from the nozzle structure 83 will issue through the throat lill between the guide plate 19 and frame 89 and will encounter the coal and refuse flowing down from the plate into effect further separation, the lighter coal being directed diagonally toward the gap or throat N32 to meet the stream of coal from the guide plate structure 13-'M. The lighter refuse pieces may be carried away with the stream from the nozzle structure 83 but will soon move downwardly toward the bottom 23 of the jigger structure.

The stream from the lower nozzle structure 84 is guided by the plate 89 to be directed through the throat I03 below the guide frame 89, so as to flow diagonally along the sloping bottom of the jigger structure above the refuse material on the jigger bottom and through coal which may have escaped the stream from the upper nozzle structure 83, such coal being directed toward the throat N12 to mix with the other coal for discharge into the discharge chute [8 across the sill 30.

In addition to the water stream through the coal mass, the mass and the water in the jigger structure are subjected to the jigger or vibration movement which materially assists in the efficient separation of the refuse from the coal. Adjustment is preferably made for jigging or vibration movement which will cause the refuse on the bottom 23 of the jigger structure to be urged continually toward the discharge outlet 28.

The gap lllll at the end of the trough 69 is of such width that it may be jumped by lighter refuse pieces, but cannot be jumped by the heavier refuse pieces. Such heavier refuse pieces will drop rather abruptly onto the plate Ill after escaping over the sill 9'! and will travel down theplate 19 and drop rather abruptly from the end thereof to be intercepted by the apron 9| on the guide frame 89 and will then flow along the topof the frame 89 against the guide plate 81 and guide plate 93 for discharge into the discharge passageway 21 for reception by the conveyor 96. Any lighter refuse pieces dropping through the gap I89 and passing down the plate 10 will not drop so abruptly and will flow past the inner end of the intercepting apron 9| on the frame 89 and will reach the sloping bottom of the jigger structure to be impelled downwardly by the jigger action for discharge through the hopper outlet 28 into the discharge passageway 26 for reception by the conveyor 95. The adjustrnent of the various parts can be made such that practically all of the heavy gravity refuse will drop down through the gap Hill for interception and travel thereof to the heavy gravity refuse conveyor 96.- The lighter refuse will reach the jigger structure bottom for discharge to the conveyor 95. Thus with my improved washing apparatus the refuse which is heavier than coal is separated from the coal and then the heavier and lighter refuse pieces are separated from each other and discharged to separate conveyors;

,A section I 04 of the jigger bottom elow theouh let throat I82 may be perforatedso that during the jigging operation a water stream will-pulse upwardly toward the throat I02 and will carry with it any coal which may have escaped the streams from the nozzle structures 83 and 84.

The capacity of washing apparatus thus far described may be increased by increasing the width of the jigger structure for greater width of water stream and coal mass flow, However, with such increased width, eddy currents or other disturbances might arise which would interfere with the smooth and regular stream flow of the water and coal mass and impair the efficiency of the apparatus. I therefore prefer to provide a multi-path jigger structure in which the width of each path is such as to assure smooth regular flow of the water and coal mass to be cleaned. Such multi-flow path arrangement is shown on Figures 5, 6, and 7. With such multi-path arrangement, the tank structure, except for greater width, remains substantially the same as in the structure shown on Figures 1 to 3 inclusive.

Two separate jigger structures each of the proper width could be secured together to form a jigger unit. As shown the rectangular jigger frame I06 has the central longitudinally extending partition wall I01 dividing the frame into two flow paths I08 and I08. The arrangement as to guide plates, baffles etc. in each of the paths I08 and I08 is the same as that in the single path of the jigger structure disclosed on Figures 1 to 3, and the two path jigger structure I06 is suspended in the tank and operated by the same jigger means as shown on Figures 1 to 3, the various supporting bars and shafts being merely lengthened to extend across the top of the jigger structure and the tank respectively so that both paths I08 and I 08 are subjected to the same jigger action. The discharge chute I8 extends across the tank to receive the discharged products from both of the jigger paths and the refuse material discharge outlets 26 and 21 extend across the tank bottom to receive the low and high gravity refuse pieces separated from the coal.

As shown on Figure 5, separate troughs I09 and I are provided for the paths I08 and I08 and where the same grade of coal is to be washed in both jigger paths, a common coal chute ,0 would be provided. With such multi-path jigger structure difierent grades of coal could be washed in each of the paths and then each coal feeding trough would be provided with a separate chute. The washed coals are discharged from the separate paths through the discharge chute I8 and the heavy and low gravity refuse from both paths is delivered to the respective conveyors 95 and 96 (Figure 2).

The water supply arrangement for each path may be the same as that shown on Figures 1 to 3. Referring to Figure 7 a water distributing box I I I supplies water to upper and lower nozzle structures 83 and 84 for the jigger path I08 and the upper and lower nozzle structures 83 and 84' deliver the water to the path I08, the flow from each nozzle structure being controlled by a separate valve as illustrated on Figure 2.

A valve controlled pipe I I2 supplies water to the outer end of the trough I09 and the valve controlled pipe H3 supplies water to the trough I09. With such individual valves, the water flow through each jigger path may be accurately adjusted for the most efiicient washing of the par .ticular grade of coal traveling 1 through the jigger path.

As shown-on Figure 6, the sloping bottoms of the jigger paths may be concave or inclined toward-their longitudinal center line so as to keep the refuse pieces out of the corners and to cause more even flow of the refuse pieces to the refuse outlets.

When the washing apparatus is in operation, the water level in the tank will be above the outlet ends of the nozzle structures which deliver water-into the jigger structures, and this water in the tank will serve as a seal around the nozzle outlets.

,I thus produce a comparatively simple, economically manufactured coal cleaning apparatus which will operate efficiently at low cost, and by virtue of its multi-path individually controlled water flow adjustment may readily be made to adapt the apparatus to the individual requirements of 'mines and different characters of coal.

I have shown practical and efficient embodiments of the features of my invention but I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction, arrangement, and operation shown and described as changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim as follows:

1. Coal cleaning apparatus of the class described comprising a frame of U-shaped cross section providing a path for the flow of water and coal mass therethrough, a coal feed trough projecting into said frame for feeding coal mass thereto, a guide plate structure within said frame separated from the end of said trough by a gap and cooperating with the trough to define an upper path for the flow of water and coal mass, means for applying a stream of water for flow down said trough with the coal mass to effect a'preliminary separation of refuse from the coal and for flow of clean coal across said gap and along said guide plate structure and with the refuse falling through said gap, means for directing a lower stream of Water into said frame along the bottom thereof and toward the frame outlet, means for directing an intermediate stream of water into said frame between said lower stream and the upper stream along said upper path, means for individually controlling said water streams, guide plate structure between said intermediate and lower streams for receiving the refuse falling through said gap and for cooperating with said streams to separate the heavier refuse from the lighter refuse, and separate outlets from said frame for the heavier refuse and lighter refuse.

2. Cleaning apparatus for the purpose described comprising a jigger structure of U-shaped cross section, means suspending said J'igger structure for jigging movement, means for effecting such jigging movement, a feed trough for coal mass to be cleaned extending into the inlet end of said jigger structure, a guide plate within said jigger structure between the structure outlet end and the end of said trough, said plate being separated from said trough by a gap and with said trough defining an upper flow path, means for directing a streamof water to flow through said path with coal mass to effect a preliminary separation'of refuse as the mass flows down'said trough and a further separation as the mass passes over said plate, means for directing a lower stream of water into said jigger structure along the bottom thereof and toward said outlet, means for directing an intermediate stream of water through said jigger structure between said lower stream and upper stream, said lower and intermediate water streams effecting separation from the refuse of coal escaping through said gap and directing such coal to the jigger structure outlet, means for independently controlling said stream flows, the bottom of said jigger structure sloping downwardly from its outlet end to its inlet end and being there provided with an outlet for the precipitated refuse.

3. In a washing apparatus of the class described, a jigger frame of U-shaped cross section and means for effecting jigging motion thereof, means for feeding coal mass to be washed to the inlet end of said frame, means for directing streams of water into the inlet end of said jigger frame for urging clean coal toward the outlet end of the jigger frame, said jigger frame having a bottom sloping downwardly from its outlet end toward its inlet end and having two outlets at its inlet end, means Within said jigger frame cooperable with said water streams for separating falling heavy refuse and lighter refuse and for conducting the heavier refuse to one of said refuse outlets and the lighter refuse to the other of said refuse outlets.

4. In coal washing apparatus of the type described, a jigger frame of generally U-shaped cross section, means for suspending said frame and for imparting jigging motion thereto, a feed trough for feeding coal to be washed into the inlet end of said jigger frame, means for applying individually controllable streams of water to the coal mass for separation of refuse from the clean coal and for floating the clean coal to the outlet end of said jigger frame, the bottom of said jigger frame sloping downwardly from the frame outlet end toward the frame inlet end and at the inlet end having two outlets for refuse, bafile and guide means within said jigger frame between the outlet of said trough and said refuse outlets for cooperating with said streams to separate the heavy refuse from the lighter refuse and guiding the heavier refuse to one of said refuse outlets and for causing the lighter refuse to be directed to the sloping bottom of the jigger frame for delivery to the other of said refuse outlets whereby the heavier and lighter refuse will be separately delivered from said jigger frame.

5. In coal washing apparatus of the class described, a jigger frame of substantially U-shaped cross section, means for imparting jigging motion to said jigger frame, a supply trough for delivering coal mass to be cleaned to the inlet end of said jigger frame, guide means within the jigger frame forming a continuation of said trough but separated therefrom by a gap, means for directing a stream of water to flow down said trough with the coal mass to effect a preliminary separation of the refuse from the coal mass and to direct clean coal across said gap for flow over said guide means and. toward the outlet of said jigger frame, the bottom of said jigger frame sloping downwardly from the outlet end of the frame to the inlet end thereof and there provided with two refuse outlets, means for directing separately controllable water streams into the inlet end of said jigger frame for effecting separation of refuse from coal escaping through said gap, and bafile and guide means within said jigger frame between said gap and said refuse outlets for directing the heavier gravity refuse to one of said refuse outlets and the lighter gravity refuse to the other of said refuse outlets whereby said heavy and lighter gravity refuse will be separately delivered from said jigger frame.

KLAAS PRINS. 

